Route: From trailhead, follow Trail 826 NW for 2.5km then turn L (also called 826 on map); trail zigzaps steeply up thru forest to gain crest, then heads E, keeping generally below crest of ridge on its S side. Path climbs to the minor summit Monte Kempel 2295m (signpost) then descends SE, skirts a minor summit to reach the col Porta Kempel then skirts Monte Gomion (interesting limestone scenery throughout). Cima Dodici appears straight ahead, apparently unassailable. However, beyond a col, the path skirts the base of Dodici for 0.25km before ascending an easy rocky gully (zigzags) to the summit. On the way back it is only a slight detour to visit the summit of P160m Cima Portule.

Difficulties: YDS2+ with some very minor scrambling on summit climb, but mostly YDS 2, 1 at start. Rocks on W ridge of Cima Portule slippery when wet.

Notes: We arrived at the trailhead late the previous evening, after climbing Monte Grappa late afternoon, and getting a meal en roiute to Asiago. We drove the forest road a further 2.5km, parked and slept there, but soon after midnight were woken by a Polizia partol car and escorted back to the official trailhead.

We started at 06:00, first light, as we had a rendezvous that afternoon. There were clouds around, although we had clear visibility, and some of the larger more distant peaks were visible above cloud. Once reached, Monte Kempel gives a fine view NE along the range, although Dodici is barely distinguishable from the nearer Monte Gomion. Hiking is easy thoughout: Dodici seems a fair way off but we are there sooner than expected, after a surprisingly short summit climb. The biggest summit cross is perched over a dizzying drop, overlooking Val di Sella. We are at the summit in 2h. After exploring the summit (and searching unsuccessfully for the trig point), we head back, visiting Cima Portule P160m en route. This has a nice rocky summit with several outcrops, although none of them bore the mapped trig, as far as I could tell. Once down off the ridge, the final walk back down the forest road is in hot sunshine. We are down in 2h from Docici.

We then drove via Trento, Bolzano and the Val Venosta to Sulden, to meet the prolific Norwegian climber Petter Bjorstad, with whom we were to climb two rather more significant peaks - Ortler and Piz Kesch - over the next two days.